2015 was a tough year, it was like stepping into the boxing ring with Floyd Mayweather and coming out all beat up and bloody.

January started out promising. I was given new hours job at APAC / EGS (Express Scripts – Prior Authorizations). I was working from 8 am -4:30 pm, but new hours were 7 am – 3:30 pm, which avoid a lot of the traffic before and after work.

March came in like a lamb and left like a lion with seeing the movie HOT TUB TIME MACHINE 2 (it was okay, not nearly as funny as the original) and the publication of my YA book I KISSED A GHOUL by Curiosity Quills Press. Kudos to the GHOUL crew: Andrew Buckley, Erika Galpin, Mark McLaughlin, P.D. Cacek and Mary Harris.

(I Kissed A Ghoul)

April while my wife and I were walking, I decided to take a short cut, by jumping over a 10 foot fence. Fell on my foot, ended up with a sprained heel for about 3 weeks.

May I saw the remake of POLTERGEIST (almost as good as the original, some good chills). Also, I was switched to another team for about three weeks, losing my $2.00 an hour bonus and switched back by the end of the month. On the plus side, my 4th poetry book FEAR & DESIRE co-written with Sheri Gambino was published by Wilder Publications. Many thanks to Sheri, Warren and Raymond Congrove. I also watched Mel Piff judging the Quad Cities Roller Derby game.

June, I was still upset about losing my $2.00 bonus at APAC/EGS and applied for a job with Terminix and I was hired as a Sales Person by the end of the month. Cindy and I also went to see the musical YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN which was awesome.

July I saw SHARKNADO 3 (a lot of fun) when I was in St. Louis doing a week training for Terminix. Also, I attended the QC Planet Comic & Arts Convention was I did a lecture and signing (even appeared on a news segment for Midnight Mausoleum).

August saw FEAR OF THE WALKING DEAD, still prefer just THE WALKING DEAD. Also saw the remake of VACATION (had a few good laughs, but not as good as the Chevy Chase films). Also saw the paperback publication of BLOODLESS by Jody LaGreca and Michael McCarty.

(Bloodless)

September Mark McLaughlin and I finish editing a science fiction novel and start shopping it around. (It was accepted for publication in November).

October was Cindy and my 6th wedding anniversary. We also went to see the band Urge Overkill

(Urge Overkill photo by Michael McCarty)

November I fell on my face, literally. My face had a fight with the cement sidewalk and lost. I broke my nose and cut up my lip. I also saw the James Bond film SPECTRE was pretty good. Not as good as SKYFALL or CASINO ROYALE, but better than a lot of other James Bond flicks.

Brad Cook & Michael McCarty

(Photo of Brad Cook and myself at a signing at the Book Rack in 2015)

In December, I find out that MODERN MYTHMAKERS is number 3 bestseller on Crystal Lake Publishing list (thank you everybody) and went to see STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS (which I’d rank up there with the original STAR WARS, EMPIRE STRIKES BACK and RETURN OF THE JEDI).